I was born in the late ’50s, and pretty much grew up with the modern Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, and Labor movements. Things have changed a little since then unless my memory fails me.

If the old synapses serve me right, the whole idea in the beginning was to level the playing field. After all, blacks in America simply weren’t given the same “fair” shot at success. Women never had a hope of earning equal pay for equal work. And the poor white coal miner in West Virginia had virtually no choice but to risk it all for virtually nothing at all. Back then, all those folks were saying (I think) was, “Be fair, and let me compete equally and safely. I can handle the rest.”

But to paraphrase Bob Dylan, the times they did a-change. The once-liberal concept of letting all get an equally “fair shake” in this country has changed to redistributing from those of higher station to those of lower station regardless of who takes advantage of opportunity. Oh, plenty of opportunity has been spread around in this country, and everyone who’s willing to work his way up can take advantage of that opportunity. Consider this McDonalds piece by George Will… And then there’s the military, community colleges, vocational schools, online classes (and free online education), large businesses and small… Plenty of opportunity for all. But what have we become as a society? Far too many people consider themselves above a McJob. Far too many people unwilling to pay their dues to earn a McCareer. People not willing or “able” to pay federal income tax.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. In the 1960s, liberalism won. But it won too well, and in 2008 with opportunity abounding, that victory wasn’t nearly good enough. Forget about spreading opportunity and start spreading the wealth.

I’ve cast my vote. I’m heading home from the polls. It’s a dark, forboding night. The cold, late fall air feels especially so as a wind comes in off the lake, chilling everyone in its path to the bone. I could walk the main roads back to my home, but that would take longer than the side streets. But the side streets aren’t as well lit. But what the hey, I’m a big guy, I’ve been called on before to defend myself and prevailed. Besides, no self-respecting criminal would be out WALKING on a night like this.

I choose the shortcut. Yeah, I’m a tough guy, but I have a low tolerance for the biting cold and prefer to risk the dark streets for the shorter walk back to the comfort of my fireplace and the snifter of brandy that waits next to it.

As I turn down Walker St. I hear something in the distance. The pulsing of a bass line and drum. “Hmmph!” I scowl, predicting another gangbanger wannabe in his Honda Civic with the big-ass amplifier and 15″ Subwoofers and big exhaust pipe that just makes an anemic car into an anemic car that has the volume to annoy an entire city block. Isn’t technology great?

I round the corner onto Redrum Avenue and suddenly stop. There, about 200 feet ahead of me is a crowd of people gathered around trash cans with fires burning in them to provide a few BTUs of heat. Sure enough, the source of music is coming from a Honda Civic with its hatch open, subwoofers blasting.

It’s a funny thing about subwoofers… you can hear the rhythm and the pulsing beat long before you can hear the actual melody (if there is one) or the vocals (if there are any lyrics).

The gathering has the essence of a celebration. People are laughing, dancing and, in general, having a great time. “What the hell? I think to myself. “It’s right on the way, and I might enjoy a little bit of that heat.” I walk on, towards the crowd.

About 150 feet away, I start to make out some of the lyrics to the song the crowd is singing together. It’s not clear yet, but I’m able to make out some of lyrics:

“…gonna… world.” I struggle to hear the filler, but the noise of the wind covers the rest.

“…gonna… world.” As I get closer, a tall apartment building blocks the wind, enabling me to make out more the the lyric which the crowd seems to be singing with greater enthusiasm the closer I get.

“change it…

“…gonna… the world.”

“… gonna change the world”

“He’s gonna change it…”

“Obama’s gonna change the world!”

I stop dead in my tracks. The election is still on, but they are already celebrating a victory for Obama. Then I see the banner: “Change!” Clearly, I’ve chosen the wrong road as my shortcut to the warmth and safety of a home I’ve worked hard to pay for. Sometimes shortcuts lead us away from our destination.

I quickly turn to walk back toward the main road. But coming up from behind me is a group of about 100 people. People? To be more accurate, they look like zombies at this distance. They moved in a stilted, herky-jerky manner as if… wait! They ARE! They’re DANCING. But their music is different. It’s haunting. It seems to be coming from all around me, overpowering the music coming from the other crowd. No… now it’s coming from the Honda Civic as well. What the hell? It’s a driving bass line that I’ve heard before. Where the hell am I? OmiGod, I’m IN the music video for THRILLER by Michael Jackson. Even worse, the Zombies have targeted me! Is it because I’m not dead? Is it because I can still think for myself? IS IT BECAUSE I VOTED McCain-Palin??

As they approach me, the lyrics of their song kick in and there’s no problem understanding them:

(To the tune of “Thriller”)

“Yes It’s Obama… ‘Bama now

And nothing you can do will change what’s happening to you!

‘Cause it’s Obama…’ Bama now

You’d better Change or Get out – Get out – Get Out Toniiiight!!!!”

As the arms with rotting flesh thrust towards me, I run as fast as I can down Change Avenue and past Hope Place until I see the steps leading up to my front door and safety from the madness.

I take the steps two at a time until I reach the top. But instead of the front door welcoming me to security, it is blocked by a large imposing figure babbling something I can’t quite understand. But I recognize the voice of Blarney Frank. He stares at me through glowing red eyes as I struggle to break past him into the sanctuary of my home.

I struggle, but it’s of no use! With Blarney Frank blocking my door, I suddenly feel the breath of the beast on the back of my neck. As I turn to face my fate, I suddenly hear the goulish sound of Vincent Price’s voice laughing hysterically as “The One” reaches for me…

As I am about to be taken away to the “Change You Need” Re-education center, I suddenly wake up in a cold sweat in the comfort of my own bed. My dog Cooper lies nest to me looking at me curiously. It’s moments like this I envy the simplicty of a dog’s life. But I can’t take time to savor the moment… I have to get to the polls to cast my vote.

In a bizarre sort of way, I appreciate the nightmare I’ve just gone through, for it makes me realize just how important it is to get out and vote. And with the comfort of consciousness, I walk down the street towards the voting center, secure in my choice. I would drive, but it’s a great morning to be alive and I want to savor every step of the journey, every breath of fresh air and celebrate our Freedom on the way. Because it might not always be this way.

Happy Halloween! Now Get Ready To Get Out And Vote To KEEP OUR FREEDOM! KEEP OUR CONSTITUTION INTACT!

Here’s a random question: does Senator Obama have any friends? We know he has associates, advisors, mentors, spiritual mentors, colleagues, consultants, spiritual guides, father figures, hangers-on and family. But who does he hang with when he wants to kick back? Where are his buddies from college, from his teaching days, his time as a freshman senator? Does this man have any friends at all? And if not, what does that say about him? And if he does have friends that he doesn’t want the public to know about, what does that say about him?

The Los Angeles Times is claiming that jouralisit ethics (an oxymoron these days if ever there was one) prevent them from releasing the Khalidi tape. Sure. Let’s see, that brings to four five the number of reasons the LA Times has given so far for not releasing it. First, it was, “Yes, we did so report on this, way back in April!” Then came “No comment.” Then we got the stonewall approach, “We’re not your maid, go find your own tape Does Politico release unpublished information?” After that came “Oooh, look over there! Shiny! We’re not suppressing anything.” Now, we’re back to trying to imagine The LA Times and ethics in the same sentence.

Rachel Lucas voted yesterday, and didn’t even have to hold her nose to do it. Cause for celebration!

Not that Texas is exactly up for grabs, and my McCain vote will have zero impact, but when you spend months blogging about an election and yelling at people to vote against the socialist, you kinda have to vote. So I did. For McCain/Palin. And I didn’t feel even the tiniest twinge of disgust or horror or anything bad at all.

And finally, more cause for celebration! Per Lileks, the Screedblog is coming back! And it’s about time, I say.

I don’t know you Orson Scott Card, and aside from a few quick searches, I know little of your writings. But if for no other reason, when it comes to objective reporting and commentary, my hat is off to both you and your piece, “Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights?”

It has been reported by avarietyofsources that the Los Angeles Times is in possession of a video tape of Barack Obama addressing an audience during 2003 farewell dinner for Rashid Khalidi, a former spokesman for the PLO. In the video, it is rumored that Sen. Obama toasts Khalidi with remarks which, if made public, would be seen as incendiary to a great many people. Another guest, a Palestinian, purportedly read a poem accusing the Israeli government of terrorism. Yet another guest alledgedly compared Israeli West Bank settlers to Osama bin Laden.

Khalidi and Obama were at one time friends, with Khalidi and his wife dining freqently at Obama’s home. Of late, however, Sen. Obama has attempted to distance himself from Mr. Khalidi, saying at a campaign event last May, “He is not one of my advisers. He’s not one of my foreign policy people. He is a respected scholar, although he vehemently disagrees with a lot of Israel’s policy.”

“Vehemently disagrees with a lot of Israel’s policy.” Well, that’s putting it mildly. Khalidi is a founding member of the Arab-American Action Network, which, among other things, considers the establishment of Israel to be a “catastrophe.” Certainly that did not concern Obama, as in 2001 and 2002 he was able to arrange $75,000 in grants to the AAAN in his position as a board member of the controversial Woods Foundation.

The event documented on the video was attended not only by Obama and Khalidi, but a veritable Who’s Who of Chicago leftist luminaries: unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers; his wife, convicted terrorist Bernadine Dohrn; and Chicago mayor Richard Daley.

Why is the tape of this rather pretentious and relatively insignificant dinner party so important? It’s important because, in the attempt to protect a candidate’s reputation and thereby affect the outcome of the election, the LA Times is doing the entire nation a possibly calamitous disservice. If the content of that tape is as incendiary as many speculate, it is incumbent upon the Times to release it in a timely fashion so that voters may decide if the remarks by Obama are merely “youthful” exuberance, or whether they reflect his true feelings about Israel. If the content is simply mundane, why not release it and let all the furor die down?

By stonewalling as they are, the LA Times runs the risk of becoming as irrelevant as Dan Rather.